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Booming offshore demand boosts Japan auto output

Japan's big auto-makers such as Toyota and Honda plan to build new factories and increase output to feed a growing export trade to the Middle East and other smaller markets.

Not so long ago, government officials and economists fretted that car manufacturing in Japan could be hollowed out as China lured assemblers with cheap labour and explosive sales growth.

But companies such as Toyota Motor and Honda Motor were surprised by a jump in demand in North America and Europe, forcing their factories in Japan to crank up output past standard capacity. Now, with sales surging in emerging markets from Russia to South America, carmakers are shifting gear again.

Toyota, Honda, Suzuki Motor, Mazda Motor, Daihatsu Motor and Fuji Heavy Industries will all step up production in Japan in the next few years. Honda and Suzuki will build their first domestic plants in 30 years.

"Five years ago, no one would have dreamed that in a span of two-three years, four new factories would be built in Japan," said Koji Endo, auto analyst at Credit Suisse.

"The mantra from Japanese automakers used to be: 'We're going to build cars where they are sold.' Now they're saying: 'We need exports too.' It's a complete about-face."

In the past year, a fall in the yen provided a big bonus for Japanese automakers. But currency rates have little to do with the decision to build more cars in Japan, auto executives say, as long as the dollar doesn't fall back down below 100-105 yen.

JP Morgan auto analyst Takaki Nakanishi last month raised his forecasts for domestic auto production by 50,000 vehicles to 11.75 million in the year to end-March 2008, and by 150,000 vehicles to 12.256 million in fiscal 2009/10.

In calendar 2006, production hit 11.48 million, rising for a fifth straight year and nudging Japan past the United States as the world's biggest vehicle producer. Just over half the vehicles were exported.

"Ultimately, when you look at manufacturing efficiencies, flexibility, cost competitiveness, speed, quality and so many other factors, it makes sense to invest in Japan," Nakanishi said.

If he's right, economists - many of whom expect annual production to hover around 10-11 million vehicles - could be in for a pleasant surprise, especially after the government recently announced a bleaker outlook on personal spending.

The ripple effect of added production in an industry that buys thousands of parts including semiconductors, batteries, and electronics products, would be significant.

Auto executives play down the strengthening trend for domestic production since rising exports have traditionally touched a political nerve with the United States.

Last year's 34 per cent jump in exports to North America raised eyebrows, but that number is set to fall this year as Japanese carmakers increased US production.

However, in the Middle East, there is virtually no supporting industry and it is content to import cars.

Many of those will come from Toyota, which expects its Middle East sales to climb 30 per cent to 560,000 vehicles this business year. To help meet that demand, Toyota's domestic plants are building cars at a pace of at least 4.2 million this year, against official capacity of 3.8 million.